September, 1919 
FOREST AND STREAM 
475 
on the banks of the Connecticut River 
where Rail congregate in thousands. 
Early hi August when the reeds and 
wild rice attain their full growth and 
ripen, the Rail resort to these localities 
in great numbers to feed on the seeds 
of these plants. On their first arrival 
they are generally thin in flesh, but on 
this food they rapidly fatten and by 
the opening of the season, about Sep- 
tember 1, they are in excellent condition. 
O NE should start for the shooting 
grounds about two hours before 
high water, as it is only at high 
water that a boat can be pushed success- 
fully over the reeds and rushes, thus forc- 
ing the Rail to fly. 
This pushing a heavy boat over ground 
covered with grass and rice rushes, where 
at times there are but a few inches of 
water, is strenuous work. The pusher 
must keep the boat moving to force the 
birds to fly, as they are great runners 
and will run away from the boat if not 
crowded. 
The pusher calls “mark” as each bird 
rises in its short, fluttering flight, usually 
one bird flushes at a time, but often a 
pair rise and the gunner must shoot 
quickly as they only make short flights, 
dropping into the reeds to run again. 
The pusher marks the killed birds by 
tossing out blocks of wood, painted white, 
as near as possible to where the birds 
have fallen and such is their skill that 
often, after having four or five down, on 
retrieving tl.ey have found the wooden 
markers lying across the birds. 
Were it not for some sort of a marker, 
many birds would be lost, as the thous- 
ands of acres of rice and reeds bear no 
distinguishing marks of location. 
Once in a while, a King Rail or a 
Clapper Rail flushes, and often a Mallard 
or a Black duck breaks the cover with a 
loud quacking. 
At high water the shooting is fast and 
furious, but as the tide lowers, the boat 
is forced back off the flats and the shoot- 
ing is over for that tide. 
Wounded birds dive and cling to the 
sunken reeds and grass and are seldom 
retrieved. The constant “Kuk, kuk, kuk” 
of the hundreds of Rail are heard as 
they run about under the rice cover, but 
the little bird is a wonderful vantri- 
loquist and it is almost impossible to lo- 
cate one by listening to his plaintive call. 
As the bird flutters along, after rising 
in a short uncertain flight, the shooting 
is very easy, but as the bird must be 
killed at very short distances, small 
charges of powder and shot should be 
used. The ideal gun is a little 28-gauge 
and the load 1% drams powder, % -ounce 
No. 10 shot or 20-gauge gun, 2 drams 
powder, % -ounce shot. With these lit- 
tle guns the shooting is ideal and a fair 
shot should have no difficulty in getting 
a high percentage of the birds shot at. 
As a sport for women shooters, nothing 
could afford a better chance for them to 
get some good practice and many are 
enthusiastic over the chances. 
As the open season is usually during 
the warm days of September, light can- 
vas clothing is sufficient, and as one is 
often required to step over the side of 
the boat, or stand on his feet during 
some of the shooting in order to keep dry 
and prevent slipping, light rubber boots 
are best for a foot covering. 
The noted Rail grounds are those on 
the James. Delaware, Connecticut and 
Schuylkill Rivers, but there is scarcely a 
marsh that at times does not hold them. 
FURTHER NOTES ON SHORE BIRDS 
THE BLACKBREAST AND THE TURNSTONE PARALLEL RATHER CLOSELY IN HABITAT, 
OCCURRENCE AND NUMBERS BUT THE KILLDEER HAS MANY DIVERGENT HABITS 
By JOHN T. NICHOLS 
T he Blackbreast Plover is one of the 
largest and finest Shore-Birds 
which the gunner still finds in fair 
numbers along our coast-wise meadows. 
Perhaps he has been lying a full half- 
hour some August morning to windward 
of the decoys, sheltered by a thin screen 
of reeds or bushes 
with his back to the 
southwest breeze, 
and entertained by 
the chattering wrens 
and skulking spar- 
rows, or watching 
the swallows and the 
occasional flock of 
little “oxcyes” which 
shoots past. A big 
Blue Heron crosses 
his line of vision, 
flapping slowly and 
majestically. Then 
his ear catches the 
cry of a Blackbreast, 
faint in the east. 
Instantly alert, he 
responds! The cry 
grows louder and 
clearer, a ringing, 
musical pee - oo - ee, 
and he can presently 
see a bird high in 
air, flying swiftly 
and steadily. It cir- 
cles round and round 
his “ rig,” respond- 
ing to his every 
whistle, its black 
lower parts flashing 
in the newly - risen 
sun; but it requires all his skill to bring 
it for the necessary instant within range 
of his gun. Less frequently a Black- 
breast will appear among the decoys, 
silently and unexpectedly, as though 
from nowhere. 
This species is very largely a bird of 
the sand-flats and therefore found most 
abundantly about inlets to bays. It 
alights frequently, however, on both 
meadows and ocean beach. It is abun- 
dant in spring and one of the latest 
birds to move north, frequently linger- 
ing into June; and southbound birds, 
especially, flocks of 
young, are seen 
north of their win- 
ter grounds late in 
the fall. It can be 
confused only with 
the Golden Plover, 
than which it is a 
little larger and de- 
cidedly paler above 
in color. Young of 
both species, and 
late fall and winter 
adults, lack the 
black under parts, 
but the Blackbreast 
always has a diag- 
nostic black patch 
under the wing. The 
Golden Plover has 
different habits, 
often frequenting 
upland pastures, as 
does the Killdeer. 
In the east the Gol- 
den Plover was al- 
ways rare in spring 
and for a number of 
years has been rare 
at any time, no mat- 
ter what the season. 
(CONTINUED ON 
PAGE 498) 
Courtesy of the American Museum of Natural History 
A KiUdeer Plover sitting on her nett 
